Rangitikei Advocate. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 13, '07. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 9000, 13 November 1907, Page 2

Rangitikei Advocate. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 13, 'O7. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES.

WHITING ou tlie subject ox military training in Switzerland the correspondent of a London paper writes as follows concerning Swiss jxific Clubs: —“Quito apart from the rest of the training of tho troops is the matter of musketry, which is intimately bound up with tho whole life of the country. In almost over;, village there is a rifle association, which has a nrst-class rmo built ou an approved pattern. The village commune is obliged ro provide tho laud and the association builds the range, bur ir receives substantial assistance from Government, windi is cuhauia I when jh* ii'Ctaboi s do especially ■•.vo.i ui in,,, military courses, i.-vry chin- ;a u iucliuh s a covon-,, oro’y which is tin pleasca h.u-u,., • , villagers on liat-ux say. l and toum.ay:;.

Jvlou drop in to shoot while their girls wait outside, the whole Hung being a popular and wholesome form of amusement, which, however, is not carried on during the hours of Diviue serico. Almost every man shoots for pleasure, and as every soldier has Jus rifle at his home he has it to his bauds for use at tho rifle club. For those w T ho have not rifles, or who have not attained the military ago. Government provides them. The Swiss consider this form of popular amusement fully equal to loafing round a public house or watching other men play games. The result of it all is that tho men have a far superior standard of musketry to that which their annual course could be espectedjto produce. In every divisional area there is a senior officer told off to control tho arrangements of the various associations and to see that the conditions necessary for the grant of the Government subsidies are complied with.

THE increased 'cost of living appears to have no terrors for some of the inhabitants of Wanganui, who have ceased either to live to cat or to eat to live, and continue to enjoy good health while fasting. One exponent of this form of the strenuous life fasted for 43 days, took some light rofesluueut, again pursued his •self-imposed task, and at present has reached the 48th day of his abstinence from solid food. It may be that the Wanganui water supply has more nutritious qualities than that of other towns, or that the atmosphere has sustaining powers unknown in less fortunately situated cities. If this be so bottles of Mauganui water and cylinders of liquid air may soou take the place of the bread and meat which have hitherto been regarded as necessities of life. Before deciding to give up the breakfast of bacon and eggs, followed by toast and marmalade, which enables us to face the toils of the day with an oven mind, wo should like some information as to the state of the temper of tho Wanganui tasters. Hunger in many people produces an irritatiou’which is best cured by a good meal, and wo fear that a diet of water with copious draughts of air between meals would hardly tend to produce family peace. We, however, have no objection to fasting among those outside our immediate circle, and, indeed, think it should be encouraged in order to reduce the present prices of bread and moat.